HELP! AutoGK settings

[djparis]

Hi everyone. Newbie here. LOL.

Im trying to use Autogk for basic encoding from a Xvid to a AVI Divx file. This way i'll be able to burn a few movies on a DVDR and watch them on my DVD player.
I'd like to know what settings I should be using if I only want to fit lets say 2 movies on a DVD blank disc.
I'd like good video and audio, and also want to have the files written in DivX.

After waiting almost 2 hours to convert 1 AVI Xvid file to a DivX file, Autogk started "running second pass" and it now opened Virtual Dub and started at 1% again. It is VERY slow. Are there any settings I missed? All this time I simple could've used DivX converter and then burned the file to a complete DVD with chapters.

Is AutoGK really this slow? 2 hours, and now another 2 hours to convert it again? Am I doing something wrong? Please, any help or what basics I need to do, would be VERY APPRECIATED!!!!!!!!!!

[mats.hogberg]

Nothing wrong. 2 hours/pass sounds about right for a single kernel 2.7 GHz box, if you're talking about the average movie.
You can tell AutoGK to just use single pass, but that'd give you a lower over all quality at the same file size.
You can also use the quantizer mode, which will give you a known quality (that you set) but undetermined file size. However, for 2 movies to 1 DVd-5, you can usually crank the quantizer up (low, in fact, as lower quantizer=higher quality) very much.
But why reencode from XviD to DivX? 99% of all players that can play DivX can also play XviD. Lots of guides for AutoGK if you look it up under Tools left.

/Mats

[djparis]

Thanks Mats. Well consider my dumb. LOL. I didnt realize the DVD player could play Xvids as well. I thought they had to be written in Divx codec. Guess it depends on the DVD player. I will check my player and see if it does. Duh!!

Also if I indeed do want to convert to DivX - can you explain that part above where you mention crank the quantizer up etc? Also when selecting the type of output, should I select 1 cd or 2 cd or 1/3 or?? My preference is to have the exact quality as the AVI im starting with on my computer, no matter the output size.

[mats.hogberg]

http://www.doom9.org/index.html?/autogk.htm , especially step 3 answers your questions.
And:

to have the exact quality as the AVI im starting with on my computer, no matter the output size

isn't possible, as every reencoding takes some quality away.

/Mats